“I can give you two hours,” Lorenzo says. “After that, you’re coming back here. Flavio is on the ground looking for her. He can’t be too far from you.”
I hang up.
“Two hours.”
“How are you so sure about that signal?” Lucian asks, finally turning off the music. “Julian knows how to scrub a GPS, surely. He’s not an amateur.”
I reach into my pocket for the key again, the cold metal grounding me.
“I hid a military-grade transmitter in the cuff bracelet I gave her. She doesn’t know it’s there, and it can’t be removed without this key.”
Andreas whistles again. “Remind me not to accept any gift from you again, you possessive bastard.”
“Coast road,” Lucian says, as the road becomes more ragged. “There must be a safe house at the end of this.”
I brace myself.
The ache in my chest is a pressure that only her presence can alleviate.
I’m almost here, Dolcezza.
Chapter 38
Katarina
Consciousness returns as a series of sharp pulses in my eyes. When I open them, I'm no longer on the floor. I am flat on my back, the mattress beneath me thin and smells of moist wool. I try to reach the side of my face that is throbbing with pain, but the hemp ropes bite on my wrists.
No.
My arms are restrained above my head in a painful angle—the sockets of my injured shoulder scream under the tension.
I start to buck against the bed and realize that cords are coiled tight around my ankles, too tight, that I can’t feel my feet anymore.
I tilt my head, and the room starts spinning. When I look up, the ceiling feels like it is unhinging from the walls. A surge of bile pushes to the back of my throat. Then, a massive pressure builds behind my teeth, urging me to scream until I seehim.
Julian is sitting in a wooden chair to my right. He isn’t moving. His arms crossed over his chest. He’s staring at me with profound disappointment—as if I am the one who has failed him.
“Julian,” My throat is so dry it feels like I swallowed pieces of broken glass. “Untie me!”
“I’m sorry, Kat. I can’t do that,” he says slowly, his voice devoid of the tenderness he used to wrap around me like a blanket. “I won’t do that.”
“Please,” I sob, the tears leaking into my ears as I yank the ropes helplessly. “Just untie me. We can talk about this.I’ll listen.”
“You’ll learn,” he says softly, his eyes piercing into mine.
Then he stands up. He watches me cry for a moment before turning around and walking out.
I lie there, drowning in the sound of my sobs and the crashing of the waves in the distance.
∞∞∞
Two hours later
Julian reenters the room carrying a small bowl and a candle. The yellow flame casts dancing shadows upon the stone walls. He pulls the chair to the side of the bed and sits, looking exhausted.
I force my muscles to go limp and swallow the scream that wanted to come out. Then, I soften my expression.
I need him to trust me.
